Baby Bug is a Nut
My daughter is a goofball. I don’t know why this surprises me. It’s not like I’m normal and boring or anything. But it does surprise me. Every day. I say this jokingly and affectionately but I think she has obsessive compulsive disorder. Or maybe it’s a toddler thing. I do not know.
She’s just funny about things. She’s very particular. Things have to a certain way. It’s not like she throws a temper tantrum if we put the wrong shoe on first but she lets her opinions be known loud and clear.
Like the color green for example. She LOVES the color green. Everything has to be green. When she gets up in the morning and I ask her what she wants to wear, she screams out GoooooReeeeeen! And then I pull my hair out because the two green shirts she has are in the laundry (they always are) and I really don’t want her to wear the green cordoroy dress that is hot and sweaty when it’s 90 degrees outside.
So it should take us by no surprise that she fished Tobys’ green socks out of his drawer after they had their “Daddy Socks, Baby Socks” session. She thought trying on Daddy’s socks was a hoot and a half. Then later, when Toby was in the shower, she was mysteriously quiet in our bedroom while I was out in the kitchen.
One of the first rules of toddlerhood that I’ve learned since Baby Bug hit 8 months or so is this: A quiet toddler is a naughty toddler. Sure enough she had upturned his entire sock drawer and pulled on the one pair of socks that he never wears. The bright green ones that I bought him about a zillion years ago.
It’s perfect. He never wears them. She loves them because they are green. So from now on they are Baby Bug’s socks.
Another funny thing about Baby Bug is that she likes make up little skits. Or repeat things that we’ve said over and over that really have no meaning but sound fun to her. Or maybe they remind her of something funny that we laughed about earlier and she wants to recreate that moment over and over. It’s just funny because I know her little skits by heart and we’ll go on and on with them all day long.
I wish I was video blogging because I could explain this way better in person. I’ve been trying to record her for months but it seems like every time the camera is rolling, thats when she decides to stray from her normal routine which blows the point I am trying to make.
For example when in her high chair she will say:
“Apple?”
To which I reply, “No, no no no no…”
Then she says, “Okay.”
And then that’s it. But then she says it again.
“Apple?”
“No. No no no no noooooo…”
“Okay.”
Over and over and over again.
Sometimes we add in the skit from Gabba Gabba, “I tried it. I like it!” “I tried it. I like it!” I can’t find a link to that exact song but you get the idea.
I’m probably boring you to death with this. I will try my hardest to upload something today to prove my point. My big point is this: My kid is a nut. It’s not just the obsession with green or the little skits. It’s everything. If we do something twice then that is the new routine. She remembers things I don’t even know I do.
The other day I was putting her food in her little piggy plate that has separated partitions for main dish, vegetable etc etc. Well, I guess I put her frozen peas in the bottom one instead of the top one and so while I was off doing something else, she one by one picked up each pea and put it in the correct partition. It’s things like that, all day long, every day that surprise me and make me think she’s a nut.
A delightfully funny and wonderful-to-be-around, nut.
Okay, this this was the best I could come up with. Which is not good at all. It’s mostly my voice being annoying trying to get her to do her thing. Oh well… It’s the best I can do right now.
34 Comments
Annika
I’m convinced Sam has OCD too. It must be a toddler thing.
Dad
I’m sitting at my shared desk(tomorrow is my last day here at Werner) and for once there isn’t anything to do, so I called up SAJ. What a crackup BB is. I printed out all four pictures and am distributing them throughout the office!! I hope she likes the green slippers I knitted her. They are waiting for her… (yes, Tomthetrucker knits for relaxation… probably the only trucker that knits but it is great fun and relaxing.) Great blog SAJ
SAJ says: Aw man! My Dad commented! I love you, Dad. I thought you were going to say something about how I was a nut but I guess those stories will be kept on the down low. See you soon!
sizzle
that’s adorable. those socks on her- so freaking cute. i think our quirks are what make us unique and she’s just embracing her uniqueness. :)
pinky
I love Toby’s green socks on her! I’m saving up my fun long socks to use as faux-babylegs for my baby – I think I’m just going to cut the feet off :-)
bethany actually
The OCD, the repeating things incessantly–I’m pretty sure those are normal toddler things. In her bed at night, Annalie will sometimes lie there and repeat a phrase she heard one of us say, or on TV, twenty times in a row, like she’s just trying it out. She also thinks we have a routine when we’ve done something the same way twice, when I didn’t even realize I was doing it the same way. And then if we change the “routine” she is very quick to inform me that I am doing it wrong. :-) She’s more flexible now, at 3+, than she was a year ago, or even six months ago. But she still is pretty particular about how things happen in her world.
jo's mom
Maybe Dad will not write it but your mom will. You used to go around saying “I’m a nut. I’m a nut.” Then you would change to “I’ a bumpy kid I’ a bumpy kid” (rambunctious )…so she is doing just like her mom and doing her own thing.
jo's mom
I forgot the “I’m a ham.”
SAJ says: I still say that over and over.
amy
She is very fashion forward
Anne
So cute! I love it. My daughter just turned 9months…I sooo look forward to these days, when her personality really blossom’s! Girls are so detailed, noticing every little thing. Your baby bug is precious! Makes me want to go kiss my “tiny” as we call her. Anyway, this is such a great post, thanks for sharing!!
:: jozjozjoz ::
Those socks are perfect.
Michelle
Those socks are the best! The alligator at the top is GoooooooReeeeen too! Our youngest sings silly songs about her sisters…this one was to the “Old Macdonald” tune – “My two sisters always fight….e,i,e,i,o” – lol :o) During her song, the twins were in a scuffle over a Webkin or something silly like that :o) We were in the car tuling around for bicycle helmets, I’m driving, and laughing, twins are arguing, and C is singing her heart out! The apple song is adorable that you two sing to each other! Thanks for putting that up!
aimee/greeblemonkey
I can’t tell you how many times a day we say those exact words… “Declan is a complete nut.”
It’s so freaking awesome!
lynne
I love these stories about your wonderful life. Makes me wonder what I am missing out on.
Keri
I love the green socks! I might have to try this with my daughter. Tell BB she is a trendsetter!
Julie
My toddler, Avrey has those times too – skit is a good desciption – when washing his hands after dinner, I wipe one hand, and then say “other hand” then he put’s it out, then pulls it back and gives me the one I just wiped. “no, the other hand” and repeat, and repeat. It cracks him up.
The socks are great.
Any tricks for getting him to try on his halloween costume? I’m afraid the big day is going to come, and the pooh-honeybee outfit passed down from his cousin is going to remain on the hanger.
Sleepynita
I love the socks, they are so big on her but oh-so-cute! Maybe you could cut the feet off and sew the bottoms and make a fancy pair of leg warmers for her? I dunno it is something I would do…..
Love the water mark you put on your photos, very groovy!
Tanya
What great photos of BB! I really enjoy this age, when kids personalities start to present themselves. My nephew was the same way, everything had to be blue for him.
bluejaye
BB’s older cousin is soooooo into green. I don’t know how many green shirts she owns. She just told me two, but I know for a fact that I have only boughten one shirt this year that wasn’t green. She will be 12 soon. Do you want me to start saving them as she out grows them.
She just counted and says 5. I’ll bet if I counted it would be at least 8.
Go buy the girl another green shirt.
And Toby give the girl your sox!!!
Sheryl
Ha, this brought back memories of when my oldest was that age. Very particular, and would fixate and repeat certain things. It is so much fun to see how their little minds work, and when they start getting their own personalities.
Hey! Don’t forget to send me your addy, and baby bug’s shirt size, I bet we’ve got a few green shirts around here we could pass on to you.
Bee
just real quick – the post today? adorable. your stories about Baby Bug make me giggle. …secondly, your photos! i’m not sure if it’s the minivan camera that’s changed your style up (i suspect a little more photo editing than usual on your part?), but the photos here are gor-juss the last couple of days. so much depth. really, really nice.
SAJ says: Thank you! Yes, I am photoshopping heavily. The mini-van camera’s pictures are very drab so I am saturating the color and burning in the edges etc to make them match what the picture in my mind was when I took it. It’s something I used to do all the time but got lazy with the ease of flickr uploading. But now since I’m watermarking in photoshop anyway, I “fix” them.
Jennifer
The socks remind me of little Grinch feet, haha. Love them. I think toddlers are just wacky. Emily actually has OCD and had a tough time when things were different. When she was a toddler we would always say, “Don’t do anything with Emily that you aren’t willing to do FOREVER.” Audrey has the same tendencies but I can tell it’s more of a toddler thing because her day isn’t completely ruined when something gets changed up. She is really particular about a few things. The 16 month old that I watch has been really ill and has been home for a week. Audrey must have gotten used to eating with her because whenever she has breakfast or lunch she brings a doll that I have to put in the extra booster seat. I HAVE to put a bib on the doll and serve her a bowl, spoon and sippy cup. Audrey doesn’t talk so it took a while to figure this all out the first time. She never brings the doll to dinner because the little girl goes home before dinner time. I think that toddlers are amazing and I could watch them interact all day long.
K
Your little girl is so adorable!
Super Sarah
yup, I had to comment about the photos too, gorgeous! I love the close up of baby Bug’s face… just great. I am lazy about post-processing too but your pics are very inspiring!
SmocknMama
I love the toddler stage. BB is adorable in her daddy’s great green socks.
Brittany
The peas story kind of reminds me of the post you made about walking to the beach. In that post you said that when you forgot to stop and smell a flower you passed (as was the routine), BB noticed and had you go back to smell the flower.
witchypoo
BB is so adorable in the GooooReeeen! socks. I love the impish look you caught as she looked over her shoulder at you.
Angella
Yep. She’s a nut. It seems as though she comes by it honestly ;)
Amanda
She is too cute!! I love little silly things toddlers do. It drives me crazy it’s so funny. And the GoooReeen… too cute!
Great pics, as usual. :)
BeachMama
Ooooh, I love the green socks!
And yes we too have a child who has a little OCD too. I am sure he will get over it in time, but for now I humour him as it is probobly me that made him that way. Everything has to be just so or the day doesn’t go so well (for him that is).
Neil
If she’s a funny goofball, she had to learn it from someone! (hint, read your own blog)
Ashlee
She is coming into her individuality:). So adorable.
Ashlee
You should make her some green cupcakes :)
Rachael
You should totally cut off the feet of those socks and make them into baby leg warmers for her! hahaha
oh and her voice is the BEST! awwww
KJ Dell'Antonia
THey love the control thing! If it wasn’t the green shirts it would be something else, for sure. Isn’t it (mostly) fun to watch them make their own teeny tiny little decisions, like the fate of the world rests on those socks? She’s so CUTE! (Wish mine would let me do that to her hanging in her face gotta have bangs hair)